Finally: 2012 GOP brackets
posted at 5:10 pm on March 27, 2009 by Allahpundit
Something stupid from NPR to tide you over until tonight’s games. Final Four picks: I’ve got Mitt crushing Ron Paul and surviving a gutty performance by a game Jon Huntsman in the regional final; Sanford blowing out Whitman and winning a nailbiter against superfrosh Bobby Jindal; Pawlenty squeaking through in the “none of these other guys could ever get elected” region; and Jeb shocking Palin, Laettner-style, with a buzzer-beater to cut down the nets. You can vote at the link, but there’s little point. The Paulnuts have already been there and made their mark.
Update: Belated exit question: Is Sanford the only candidate with a realistic chance of beating The One in 2012? Lately I’ve started to think so.
Blowback
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getalife enjoys being taxed into oblivion.
ErinF on March 27, 2009 at 7:16 PM
ErinF on March 27, 2009 at 7:16 PM
getalife apparently has no life (or is a paid shill), it posts at all hours of the day. As a troll, it’s pretty pathetic, it can only spout a few dem talking points that are often really kind of non-sequitor to the topic at hand. As trolls go, it’s not even that much fun poking; one is better off ignoring it.
AZfederalist on March 27, 2009 at 7:21 PM
You were one of the people who supported Romney. Said he behaved in a more Christian manner than Mike Huckabee. Mitt Romney switches positions on every single issue, on abortion, homosexuality, on amnesty for illegal aliens, on spending on taxes, on every issue he’s done complete flip flops. Yeah, I can really see your point.
apacalyps on March 27, 2009 at 7:23 PM
Very true, and you know why? Because none of them have the guts (except for maybe Sarah, but she’s out of her league on the national stage anyway) to call out these leftists on a national platform! They just take little snipes here and there; “We are not the “No” Party!” “We also want Obama to succeed.” “We have a plan to move our economy forward, it’s just a little less spending than Obama.” “We love our immigrants, and will strive for a comprehensive immigration policy.”
They are boring, because they lack conviction. They only want to protect their seat and that’s all. Bunch of cowards – all of them!
Joe Pyne on March 27, 2009 at 7:27 PM
PALIN ALL THE WAY, BABY!!
seaplanes on March 27, 2009 at 7:28 PM
Palin-Sanford would get my volunteer time…no questions asked.
SouthernGent on March 27, 2009 at 7:32 PM
You forget that the Dem primary is not winner take all; if it were, Hillary Clinton would have been the nominee. Instead, they utilize that ridiculous Superdelegate strategy which prohibited Hillary from winning the nomination. She did win more of the popular vote and all of the larger states rich with delegate count. If the Dems issued delegates like the GOP does (winner take all), Clinton is the nominee and possibly, the President today.
So, yes, name recognition is extremely important, it does play a role, and it was NOT the reason Clinton lost the primary; it was the Dems rules that lost it for her and Obama’s ability to manipulate the rules and caucuses.
yogi41 on March 27, 2009 at 7:33 PM
To be honest I really don’t care who gets the nomination in 2012, as long as it’s not Ron Paul – it’s all good.
Secondly, I would be much more happy to see Speaker of the House Cantor than seeing another Republican president.
terryannonline on March 27, 2009 at 7:35 PM
Romney does not win the primary because he’s too closely tied to the corporate image. The American people admire small business owners, not corporate bigwigs, and unfortunately, Romney is perceived as one.
If Palin plays up her family’s small business image (husband and sister), she will continue to fare well with the American people.
And then there’s Romneycare which has failed miserably in Massachusetts. That certainly isn’t going to help him with the American people.
By the time 2012 rolls around, the people will want someone who is clean, consistent in principle, and competent. I think this helps Palin immensely.
yogi41 on March 27, 2009 at 7:39 PM
Can’t wait for the Palin image rehabilitation campaign in 2010.
TimeTraveler on March 27, 2009 at 7:40 PM
You got to remember that everything swings in politics. Right now there is a very anti-corporate feelings but we don’t know if that sentiment will still be here in a couple of years. It might not.
terryannonline on March 27, 2009 at 7:46 PM
Look at the total votes for Ron Paul. All the democrats need to do is have their own Operation Chaos and he would win the primary. I pray it does not come to that, but I would vote RP over Obama for sure.
mike_NC9 on March 27, 2009 at 7:46 PM
Of course not, unless “not giving the Republicans a pass” means giving Obama and the Democrats a pass.
ROFL…good one.
ddrintn on March 27, 2009 at 7:48 PM
If Ron Paul gets the nomination (and is a LONG shot), you can immediately call me a Obama voter.
terryannonline on March 27, 2009 at 7:48 PM
The Trekkies of the political world.
ddrintn on March 27, 2009 at 7:50 PM
Well, you can also compare Romney and Palin at the RNC last summer. ‘Nuff said.
ddrintn on March 27, 2009 at 7:52 PM
Didn’t John Edwards have name recognition too? But being the losing VP was held against him, just like it might with Palin.
Speedwagon82 on March 27, 2009 at 7:53 PM
uh John Edwards was caught shagging some chick out in Cal while his wife was dealing with cancer…THAT kinda did him in
Erich66 on March 27, 2009 at 7:56 PM
Yikes! Even more the reason to work like crazy to get the right people on our ticket.
mike_NC9 on March 27, 2009 at 7:57 PM
I’m not worried, the majority of Republican voters are not isolationists like Ron Paul so he will win a Republican primary when hell freezes over.
terryannonline on March 27, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Speedwagon82 on March 27, 2009 at 8:00 PM
OK, forget all the Palin traffic-baiting here.
Allah, do you even want to win? What the hell is wrong with you? It was ALL OVER on the Comprehensive POS Amnesty, it was ALL OVER for anyone challenging Hillary.
Hell, you’ve been surrendering elections at least two years before election day. Now I guess you’re going for four. It’s pretty damn obvious how you gained your “self-trolling” reputation.
In the “In the House” days you actually seemed interested in, you know, defeating Democrats. Now it’s just “let’s lie down and die.”
Someone needs to lock you in a room with Bill Parcells and a cabinet of choice stimulants.
fiatboomer on March 27, 2009 at 8:07 PM
Didn’t John Edwards have name recognition too? But being the losing VP was held against him, just like it might with Palin.
Speedwagon82 on March 27, 2009 at 7:53 PM
True. I was responding to your initial comparison of Hillary and Sarah and stating that Hillary wins if the Dems’ primary is like ours.
I do believe name recognition is a huge factor and don’t forget that Edwards did beat Hillary in Iowa, the first contest. He came in second and that’s due to his carryover from 2004 AND the fact he camped out in Iowa from ’04 to ’08. He remained strong and then just fizzled. Perhaps if he had more money, he could have been a stronger factor, but I maintain he stayed in as long as he did (and won delegates along the way) because of voters being familiar with him.
Now, Sarah, Mitt and Mike have the name recognition; I believer that Sarah and Mitt will have the monetary advantage as well. I think that those two will battle it out until the end and that Sarah will eventually prevail. I think it helps her that our primary is “winner take all”; if it was designed to have Super Delegates and portioning out delegates by a winning percentage, I think Mitt would prevail.
ddrintn on March 27, 2009 at 7:52 PM
Sorry; I don’t understand your point.
yogi41 on March 27, 2009 at 8:12 PM
My biggest fear for 2012 is that there will be multiple conservative choices and a couple of dull, “safe” candidates. The nature of WTA primaries will cause the conservatives to knock each other off in a form of political fratricide and we’ll end up with the “safe” losers winning the nomination by default. Sort of like what happened last year. Mark my words, if we field a whole lot of conservatives at once, we’ll end up with another McLame or Bob Dull who will lose with dignity.
Random Numbers (Brian Epps) on March 27, 2009 at 8:15 PM
The American people Lefties admire small business owners, not liberal corporate bigwigs who went to Ivy League colleges, and unfortunately, Romney is perceived as one by some conservatives.
Speedwagon82 on March 27, 2009 at 8:00 PM
I hear you and agree; unfortunately, corporate executives are being smeared as villains by the mainstream media and while it’s grossly unfair, at this point, it’s resonating with Americans.
Harris recently conducted a poll that showed Americans trust Small Business Owners by a whopping percentage and CEOs were at the very bottom… even politicians beat them!
Fair? Heck no, but it’s the prevailing mood in the country right now and this doesn’t help a guy like Romney. By 2012, this can all change, and I hope it does, but for now, the anger and seething hatred is being fueled and encouraged.
yogi41 on March 27, 2009 at 8:18 PM
The difference in style and charisma is what I was referring to.
But re: Allahpundit and those who knock him: part of his job is to stir up interest in the site and to elicit comments. I, uh, don’t think Sanford has a snowball’s chance against Obama. Actually, I don’t think anyone has a snowball’s chance against Obama in 2012. The MSM will NOT allow the first black president to be a one-term failure, no matter how bad things get. And we saw from the last election how many of the sheeple get their info from the MSM.
I’d like to see Romney/some moderate in 2012 and then see Sarah gain some more experience and run in 2016.
ddrintn on March 27, 2009 at 8:18 PM
Who are these insane people who vote for Charlie Crist? He’s not a Republican or a conservative.
Enoxo on March 27, 2009 at 8:19 PM
Yikes! How did that happen? Here’s my reply again:
I hear you and agree; unfortunately, corporate executives are being smeared as villains by the mainstream media and while it’s grossly unfair, at this point, it’s resonating with Americans.
Harris recently conducted a poll that showed Americans trust Small Business Owners by a whopping percentage and CEOs were at the very bottom… even politicians beat them!
Fair? Heck no, but it’s the prevailing mood in the country right now and this doesn’t help a guy like Romney. By 2012, this can all change, and I hope it does, but for now, the anger and seething hatred is being fueled and encouraged.
yogi41 on March 27, 2009 at 8:18 PM
yogi41 on March 27, 2009 at 8:19 PM
It honestly depends on how bad it gets between now and 2010. If the economy is still tanking or worse, and Fauxbama is still standing by Geithner, I don’t think even the MSM can stand behind him. In that case, pretty much any Republican can win.
But if things turn out better, and everything is bright and cheery, we’ll have another four years of idiot boy.
Enoxo on March 27, 2009 at 8:22 PM
Then again, by the time 2010 comes around, the government will officially be owning all of the major newspapers. So, they still may stand by the idiot boy in despair.
Enoxo on March 27, 2009 at 8:23 PM
Thanks for clarifying. If Romney prevails as the nominee, I have no problem voting for him in the general. My vote in the primary will go to Palin, should she run. But I’m in California, so our state will most likely go to Romney, especially if we elect Meg as our governor.
Bottom line for me: I will vote for whomever our nominee is in 2012; I can’t fathom any scenario where I pull the lever for Obama or stay home.
yogi41 on March 27, 2009 at 8:25 PM
Ah, Rudy gets no respect.
Count to 10 on March 27, 2009 at 8:42 PM
Really? I mean, sure, the guy is nuts, but not in any ways that Obama isn’t worse.
Count to 10 on March 27, 2009 at 8:45 PM
I’m mainly a Republican because of national defense issues. If Ron Paul gets the nod, there is no reason 2 vote GOP.
terryannonline on March 27, 2009 at 8:48 PM
Actually, it is looking like we are at the bottom, as far as the stock market is concerned, which normally means that we are six months out from growth reterning.
But that is only if P.BO and the Dems do absolutely nothing from now on. More likely, though, they will keep pushing their agenda and changing the rules, which puts us in FDR territory. If we can show a pattern and repetition, we might actually be able to get traction.
Count to 10 on March 27, 2009 at 8:54 PM
So, ushering in the next Depression (which is really the only thing Ron Paul would successfully prevent, so long as he is kept away from tariffs) means nothing to you?
Count to 10 on March 27, 2009 at 8:56 PM
I’m a Sarah fan, but I like what I’ve seen of Mike Pence so far.
The Paulbots sure turned out… several times more votes in that match up than in most/all of the others. Talk about delusional.
Y-not on March 27, 2009 at 8:57 PM
Because most of his cult is on line.
Count to 10 on March 27, 2009 at 9:07 PM
Well, if they want to influence the direction of the GOP, they should probably take off their blinders and at least consider the other candidates. Based on the vote tallies either the Paul supporters voted multiple times for their candidate or they didn’t bother to vote in the other brackets. Not very helpful.
Y-not on March 27, 2009 at 9:17 PM
Why is everyone so big in to Sanford? As a South Carolinian I can tell you that he isn’t all that great. Sure, he is a hard-lined fiscal conservative with some libertarian leanings, but a leader? I’m not so sure and I think most in our state would agree with that. Smart guy and we still haven’t seen much from him on most federal-level issues (stance wise). I just think Jindal has much more potential. Brilliant guy from what I’ve seen that is actually pushing real, innovative policies and not just leading maverick/reform campaigns, bristling feathers as Sanford is doing.
waringr on March 27, 2009 at 9:23 PM
Something more relevant would be the Treasury appointments for Obama.
davo on March 27, 2009 at 9:26 PM
Websites have been found that show that Ron Paul supporters and Mitt Romney supporters have been cheating with their votes. Those sites even tell them how to cheat.
These same people have been voting against Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee. That explains why they are losing. These sites were sent to NPR to show them they were cheating and ask for a new second round…probably won’t happen though.
VFT on March 27, 2009 at 9:45 PM
It’s an Internet poll, therefore Ron Paul will win the whole thing in a landslide.
I’m surprised they didn’t put Rush on the damn thing.
Sign of the Dollar on March 27, 2009 at 10:48 PM
Romney, Palin, or Jindal.
It’s time for an adult in the office after the child emperor.
BKennedy on March 27, 2009 at 10:59 PM
What do you mean with the tariffs comment? He opposes tariffs.
Rangeley on March 27, 2009 at 11:17 PM
Mark Sanford
Age: 48
Religion:
- Episcopalian
Education:
- B.A. Business, Furman University, 1983
- M.B.A. University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, 1988
Political Experience:
- U.S. Representative from South Carolina, 1995-2001
- Governor of South Carolina, 2003-Present (6 years)
Committees:
- Member, International Relations Committee
- Member, Government Reform and Oversight Committee
- Member, Joint Economic and the Science Committee
- Member, Africa and Western Hemisphere Subcommittee
Professional Experience:
- Associate, Coldwell Banker, 1983
- Project Manager, Beachside Real Estate, 1984-1986
- Associate, Goldman Sachs, 1987
- Financial Analyst, Chemical Realty Corporation, 1988-1990
- Real Estate Broker, Brumley Company, 1990-1991
- Owner, Norton and Sanford Real Estate Investment, 1992-Present
Poptech on March 27, 2009 at 11:27 PM
what do you think will take place as far as her rehabilitation goes? i’m totally interested in your insight here.
seaplanes on March 27, 2009 at 11:33 PM
Wait. Don’t take Paul off the board until he takes out Mitt first.
Sapwolf on March 27, 2009 at 11:40 PM
Yep. The difference is convictions and courage. Only Sarah has it amongst the GOP.
If Obama continues to drive the country to destruction, Sarah will end his reign next election.
Sapwolf on March 28, 2009 at 12:04 AM
At least Ron Paul wouldn’t drone on and on while the country collapsed.
Speedwagon82 on March 28, 2009 at 12:18 AM
Ron Paul beats everybody!!! But only on the internet…
ThereGoesTheNeighborhood on March 28, 2009 at 12:46 AM
Just look at the vote totals, there are far more people voting for Ron Paul than anyone else, Ron Paul is going to win this bracket thing hands down. Obviously never getting the nomination, but he’s gonna win this at least.
galenrox on March 28, 2009 at 12:53 AM
Romney is the strongest candidate, he has the talent, the vision, the proven record etc. I am a strong supporter and was hoping he would prevail here. But I am somehow strangely not annoyed by the Paul spammers who have corrupted the entire March madness contest.
No one will pay any attention to this. Once the Paul folks put the fix in for their guy, the thing lost all credibility if it ever had any.
And no one wants to be the early front runner anyway because it isn’t lasting. Remember Giuliani and Hillary. Way out front at first. Lets keep Romney in the foreground but not out in front until it counts.
Lori on March 28, 2009 at 1:19 AM
Mark Sanford
Occupation: putting people to sleep
howIroll on March 28, 2009 at 1:58 AM
The Democrats are setting up 2012 perfectly for Mitt Romney.
amkun on March 28, 2009 at 4:50 AM
I would hope that by the election, the “base” is expanded beyond the far right. But I’m not hopeful. It sounds increasingly as though the Republicans don’t have the will to work with moderates.
AnninCA on March 28, 2009 at 10:35 AM
Conservatives have the will to fight for conservatism
Moderates don’t have fight, they are passive reactors who let others take positions. There is no reason to assume a moderate has conservative interests at heart and much reason to assume moderates will work to decimate conservative interests. McCain et al have proven this quite well
entagor on March 28, 2009 at 12:32 PM
***
Sarah Palin for president, Michelle Malkin for V.P. We have had enough RINO’s and phony conservatives.
***
This is a better ticket than we elected in 2008–more real experience and more honest.
***
John Bibb
***
rocketman on March 28, 2009 at 12:49 PM
That’s OK entagor.
I am definitely a moderate, and I’ll take your warning to heart.
And avoid the usual Republican candidates.
AnninCA on March 28, 2009 at 2:18 PM
Palin getting the nomination will guarantee a Dem landslide.
Still…she ‘energizes the base’ so who cares?
Ares on March 28, 2009 at 7:05 PM
MCCain guarantees dem wins NOT Palin.Get real.
Jamson64 on March 28, 2009 at 8:23 PM
Ron Paul’s biggest problem is that he thinks America should be an island sitting in the middle of the world, rather than the world’s superpower. This is a stark difference between him and Ronald Reagan. If you fail to participate in the world, you are doomed to relinquish power, and this will lead to a downward descent not unlike the current Marxist play of Barack Obama.
darkmetal on March 29, 2009 at 11:02 AM
He isn’t an isolationist. He thinks we should end trade barriers, participate in trade, and be open to talking to all nations. He would participate in the world – but not occupy it.
Rangeley on March 29, 2009 at 11:44 AM
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